DHAKA, May 11: Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene will lead Asia in three One-day Internationals against Africa for the Afro-Asia Cup in India next month, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) said on Friday.Pakistan fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who missed the World Cup due to injuries, have been included in the 14-member squad that also features axed India spinner Harbhajan Singh.

The ODIs, which have been granted official status by the International Cricket Council (ICC), will be played in Bangalore (June 6) and Chennai (June 9 and 10).

The series will be preceded by a Twenty20 match between the reserve players of the two continents in Bangalore on June 5, the ACC chief Executive Ashraful Haq told reporters here.

Asia’s one-day squad features five Sri Lankans who reached the World Cup final in the Caribbean – Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga and Upul Tharanga.

Two other Sri Lankan stars, Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan, were not available for the series due to commitments in English county cricket, Haq said.

The squad includes five Indians in Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan. Indian captain Rahul Dravid opted out due to personal seasons, Haq said.

Pakistan will be represented by Mohammad Yousuf, Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar while Mohammad Rafique is the lone player from Bangladesh which qualified for the second round of the World Cup.

The Asian squad was picked by the ACC’s four-man selection panel of Mohsin Khan (Pakistan) Chetan Chauhan (India), Lalith Kaluperuma (Sri Lanka) and Abdul Farooque (Bangladesh).

Former India all-rounder Roger Binny was nominated coach of the continental team.

Africa will be captained by South Africa's Graeme Smith, Haq said.

The inaugural Afro-Asia Cup, which was played in South Africa in 2005, ended at 1-1 with the third match rained off.

Asia’s one-day squad: Mahela Jayawardene (SRI, captain), Sanath Jayasuriya (SRI), Mohammad Yousuf (PAK), Shoaib Akhtar (PAK), Mohammad Asif (PAK), Sachin Tendulkar (IND), Virender Sehwag (IND), Yuvraj Singh (IND), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (IND), Harbhajan Singh (IND), Chaminda Vaas (SRI), Lasith Malinga (SRI), Mohammad Rafique (BAN), Upul Tharanga (SRI).

Asia’s Twenty20 squad: Shoaib Malik (PAK, captain), Tamim Iqbal (BAN), Imran Nazir (PAK), Mohammad Ashraful (BAN), Tillekeratne Dilshan (SRI), Shahid Afridi (PAK), Kamran Akmal (PAK), Abdur Razzak (BAN), Farveez Maharoof (SRI), Mashrafe Mortaza (BAN), Munaf Patel (IND). —AFP